Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

First, I have a Trek Soho 1.0 for bike commuting, and it's a perfect fit. But I baby the bike and don't take it on rough surfaces, through water, etc. It's a nice bike.

BUT, I want a bike for riding with the kids, across grass, through light dirt paths, etc., and I already know what I'm getting (for sure): A Trek Navigator. I've researched up and down the net, and that's what I'll get. Plus our local bike shop is absolutely outstanding in terms of customer service and lifetime maintenance (included). These guys are the only place I'll buy, and they sell only Trek and Gary Fisher products.

So, the Navigator 2.0 or 3.0, depending on how much extra dough I scrounge up.

The frame size on my Soho is 20-inch and is perfect. I am six feet tall on the nose, and weigh 205. Yep, I'm a little chubby, but not too bad. I need to lose about fifteen pounds or more.

Anyway, the Trek Navigator comes in 18-inch and 20-inch (the largest). The guy at the shop said to go for the 18. He said I was a bit hunched over on the 20-incher and should go a size down.

I've heard that it's better to go a little too small than a little too large. Is that true, and can anybody give me the lowdown on which frame size would be better for a six-foot person?

The guy at the bike shop didn't really spend a lot of time with me as I was out the door. I was in a hurry so they didn't get a good look at me on the bike.

Both have an adjustable stem, so it seems like the hunched over part can be fixed with a proper fitting. The standover height on the large is about the same as the 20" on the Soho, but the effective top tube length is much longer on the 21" navigator. Even the 18.5" Navigator has a longer Eff Top Tube. As long as the seat post will go high enough for you, I would go with the 18.5 and have them adjust the stem so that the reach is comfortable for your body.

Hope this helps, good luck with making your decision, just make sure you go in next time with plenty of time for them to do some basic asjustments so that you get the feel of the bike.

Also, what do you like about the navigator over the 7000 series. I looked at the geometry of the 7200, and the 20 in. M bike seems to mesh more with your SoHo than the Navigator does. Take a look at that as well.

I thought about the 7000 series, and used to have a 7100 that I used for commuting.

I liked it, and it was a comfortable ride, but there were a couple problems: 1. It was too slow for commuting. My Soho is much faster.

And off road the 7100 was only good in hard-packed dirt, grass, etc. With any loose dirt, gravel, etc., the bike got bogged. In tall grass it bogged too, and there are some really good trails near my house that go for miles through hard-pack, gravel, sand, etc., so I need bigger tires. I'm not interested in a mountain bike, though, as I hardly ever use those trails. I can cut through them on the way to work if I want (but not on the Soho---it only does road, paved paths, and very short grass).

The Navigator is something I can easily ride slow on when riding with the kids. I even thought of getting a beach cruiser, but the lack of a good gear system on most cruisers made me change my mind. We have a few steep hills here.

Yeah, I'll get fitted properly. One reason I asked about the 18-inch frame size was that there's a used on (Navigator) in 18-inch near me for only 275 bucks. It's a good deal because it's barely been ridden.